Global School-based Student Health Survey
Swaziland
2013 Fact Sheet
The 2013 Swaziland GSHS was a school-based survey of students in Forms 1-5, which are typically attended by students aged 13 - 17 years. A two-stage cluster sample
design was used to produce data representative of all students in Forms 1-5 in Swaziland. At the first stage, schools were selected with probability proportional to
enrollment size. At the second stage, classes were randomly selected and all students in selected classes were eligible to participate.
The Swaziland GSHS measured dietary behaviors; drug use; hygiene; mental health; protective factors; sexual behaviors; and violence and unintentional injury. Students
self-reported their responses to each question on a computer scanable answer sheet. The school response rate was 100%, the student response rate was 97%, and the
overall response rate was 97%. A total of 3680 students participated in the Swaziland GSHS. Prevalence estimates (percentages) and 95% confidence intervals are
presented below.
Students Aged 13-15 Years
Students Aged 16-17 Years
Students Aged 13-17 Years
Total
Males
Females
Total
Males
Females
Total
Males
Females
Percentage of students who were underweight
(<-2SD from median for BMI by age and sex)
2.6
(1.8-3.8)
4.5
(3.1-6.4)
1.3
(0.8-2.2)
2.7
(1.9-3.8)
4.0
(2.7-5.8)
1.4
(0.8-2.4)
2.7
(2.2-3.2)
4.2
(3.5-5.0)
1.4
(0.9-2.1)
Percentage of students who were overweight
(>+1SD from median for BMI by age and sex)
16.6
(13.6-20.1)
10.2
(7.3-14.3)
7.8
(6.0-10.1)
22.3
(19.3-25.5)
4.0
(2.9-5.5)
1.9
(0.9-4.0)
1.8
(0.9-3.3)
5.5
(4.4-7.0)
Dietary Behaviors
Percentage of students who were obese (>+2SD
from median for BMI by age and sex)
Percentage of students who usually drank
carbonated soft drinks one or more times per day
during the past 30 days
20.8
14.8
(16.9-25.2) (12.8-17.1)
5.4
(3.8-7.5)
3.7
(2.5-5.3)
5.9
(4.5-7.7)
1.7
(0.8-3.4)
24.1
15.7
(21.4-27.1) (13.5-18.3)
5.7
(4.1-8.0)
3.8
(3.0-4.9)
45.7
40.5
49.0
40.2
38.0
42.6
43.0
39.1
46.1
(42.4-49.1) (34.8-46.4) (44.3-53.7) (35.3-45.2) (32.7-43.6) (37.2-48.1) (39.6-46.4) (34.6-43.7) (42.4-49.9)
Drug Use
Among students who ever used drugs, the
percentage who first used drugs before age 14
years
Percentage of students who used marijuana one or
more times during their life
*
*
*
3.2
(2.5-4.2)
6.2
(4.7-8.1)
1.3
(0.5-3.5)
40.5
43.2
(33.8-47.7) (36.4-50.2)
8.6
(6.0-12.3)
11.7
(8.0-16.9)
*
5.5
(2.8-10.5)
52.8
54.1
(48.0-57.7) (47.0-61.2)
5.9
(4.5-7.8)
9.3
(7.1-12.1)
*
3.2
(1.7-6.0)
Global School-based Student Health Survey
Swaziland
2013 Fact Sheet
Students Aged 13-15 Years
Students Aged 16-17 Years
Students Aged 13-17 Years
Total
Males
Females
Total
Males
Females
Total
Males
Females
5.0
(3.5-7.2)
7.3
(4.8-10.9)
3.6
(2.1-6.1)
4.2
(3.3-5.4)
6.2
(4.7-8.2)
2.2
(1.3-3.6)
4.6
(3.6-6.0)
6.7
(5.2-8.6)
3.0
(1.9-4.7)
2.9
(2.3-3.6)
3.3
(2.3-4.6)
2.6
(2.0-3.5)
4.9
(3.9-6.0)
7.0
(5.9-8.2)
2.7
(1.5-4.6)
3.9
(3.3-4.6)
5.4
(4.7-6.1)
2.7
(1.9-3.8)
Hygiene
Percentage of students who usually cleaned or
brushed their teeth less than one time per day
during the past 30 days
Percentage of students who never or rarely washed
their hands after using the toilet or latrine during the
past 30 days
Mental Health
Percentage of students who ever seriously
considered attempting suicide during the past 12
months
Percentage of students who actually attempted
suicide one or more times during the past 12
months
Percentage of students who had no close friends
16.3
15.8
16.5
18.3
15.7
21.0
17.3
15.7
18.5
(14.5-18.2) (13.2-18.7) (14.0-19.3) (15.8-21.0) (12.2-20.0) (18.3-24.0) (15.5-19.1) (13.5-18.3) (16.3-20.9)
15.9
15.7
15.8
18.6
18.2
18.9
17.2
17.1
17.1
(13.4-18.9) (12.1-20.1) (12.8-19.2) (15.7-21.8) (14.4-22.8) (15.7-22.4) (15.0-19.8) (13.9-21.0) (14.8-19.8)
17.0
16.9
16.9
16.2
15.8
16.5
16.6
16.3
16.8
(14.2-20.1) (13.2-21.4) (13.8-20.6) (14.3-18.2) (13.4-18.5) (13.8-19.7) (14.9-18.4) (14.1-18.7) (14.5-19.2)
Protective Factors
Percentage of students who missed classes or
12.0
11.3
12.4
16.2
19.3
13.0
14.1
15.9
12.7
school without permission on one or more of the
(9.6-14.8) (7.3-17.0) (9.7-15.7) (13.3-19.6) (15.5-23.8) (10.1-16.6) (12.1-16.4) (12.8-19.5) (10.5-15.2)
past 30 days
Percentage of students whose parents or
47.2
43.9
49.4
38.8
37.3
40.4
43.0
40.1
45.3
guardians understood their problems and worries
(43.0-51.4) (37.6-50.3) (45.3-53.5) (35.6-42.2) (33.3-41.5) (35.8-45.1) (40.7-45.3) (36.7-43.7) (42.4-48.3)
most of the time or always during the past 30 days
Percentage of students whose parents or
37.0
31.3
40.4
30.6
29.1
32.0
33.8
30.1
36.7
guardians really knew what they were doing with
(32.9-41.2) (26.0-37.1) (36.2-44.9) (26.5-35.0) (25.5-33.1) (26.1-38.6) (31.0-36.7) (27.4-32.8) (33.2-40.3)
their free time most of the time or always during the
past 30 days
Global School-based Student Health Survey
Swaziland
2013 Fact Sheet
Students Aged 13-15 Years
Total
Males
Females
Students Aged 16-17 Years
Total
Males
Females
Students Aged 13-17 Years
Total
Males
Females
Sexual Behaviors
Percentage of students who ever had sexual
intercourse
Among students who ever had sexual intercourse,
the percentage who used a condom the last time
they had sexual intercourse
14.4
20.6
(12.0-17.2) (15.9-26.2)
*
10.5
(8.2-13.2)
26.8
32.8
20.8
20.6
27.4
15.1
(22.6-31.5) (27.2-38.9) (16.5-25.8) (17.4-24.1) (22.6-32.7) (12.2-18.5)
*
67.1
65.0
70.5
62.4
60.6
65.3
(59.9-73.6) (51.7-76.3) (59.2-79.8) (56.0-68.5) (51.9-68.7) (55.5-74.0)
*
Violence and Unintentional Injury
Percentage of students who were in a physical fight
18.3
22.6
13.7
18.9
24.7
14.0
19.4
27.4
14.3
one or more times during the past 12 months
(17.0-22.1) (22.9-32.3) (11.9-17.2) (15.4-21.6) (17.8-28.3) (10.6-17.4) (16.7-21.3) (21.3-28.4) (12.0-16.3)
Percentage of students who were seriously injured
one or more times during the past 12 months
37.7
42.0
34.9
39.6
44.7
33.9
38.6
43.6
34.5
(33.9-41.7) (36.8-47.4) (30.2-39.8) (34.3-45.1) (39.0-50.6) (28.1-40.2) (34.4-43.0) (38.9-48.4) (29.9-39.3)
Percentage of students who were bullied on one or
more days during the past 30 days
32.1
33.1
31.2
31.5
31.2
31.7
31.8
32.1
31.4
(29.4-34.8) (28.9-37.6) (27.2-35.6) (27.8-35.6) (25.5-37.6) (26.4-37.5) (29.0-34.7) (28.3-36.1) (28.6-34.4)
* Less than 100 students in the subgroup.
For additional information about the Swaziland GSHS, please contact:
Mildred Xaba, Manager of School Health Programs
Ministry of Health, Mbabane, Swaziland
c/o zwanea@sz.afro.who.int
For general information about the GSHS, please visit:
http://www.who.int/chp/gshs/en/
or
http://www.cdc.gov/gshs/